Improvement in hydrostatic scale for weighing- cargoes



illuithrd tatet @anni @tithe JAMnsy R. BURVILLE, or SPRINGFIELD, omo.

- Letters Patent N0.` 91,711, elated June 22, 1869.

IMPRVEMENT IN HYDRos'r-A'rrc SCALE PoR WEIGHING cARGoEs.

The Schedule referred to in these `Lettere Patent and'makng part of thesame.

To all whom tt may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES R. BUavILLE, of Springeld, in the county ofClark, andfState of Ohio, have.

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Iustruments forIndicating the Weight of Loads on Vessels; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and, exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part Aof thisspecification, and to the letters of reference provide a tube, A, of `alength corresponding with -the depth of the vessel, and within this tubeI 1ocate acentral rod, B, which is flat, and' twisted spirally, as shownin the drawing, this rod being journalled at top and bottom, so as to befree to turn easily. v

Within the tube A, I` also place a float, F, which may be of sheetmetal, and hollow, and which has through its centre, vertically, a slotof a proper size to permit the rod B to pass through it, and permitthefloat to slide freely up and down on said rod.

" Extending vertically the length of the tube A, withiu it, at oppositesides, are two guide-rods, I, on which ears u, projecting from the sidesof the float F, slide, thereby guiding the iloat in its movements,.andpreventing it from turning around as it rises or falls, as it wouldotherwise do.

To the top of the tube or case A, which need be only long enough toreachvto the highest'poiut at which'the vessel, when loaded, will settlein the water, is secured a smaller tube, H, upon J(he toplof whichissecured, rigidly, a horizontal dial, I), the spiral rod ,B having litsupper nd formed into a simple round rod, and extending up through thetube H, and projecting above the dial D far enough to have au indexrod,h, secured transversely to it, as shown clearly in the drawing. A

Upon the face of the dial is arranged a spiral projection or flange, f,and upon the rod h, which is made double, isplaced, loosely, an index,a, which has a notch or recess in its under face, to tit upon the flangef, so that as the rod B is rotated, the in- It consists in a novelconstruction of the instrument,

` dex a, will follow the course of', and be guided by the ange f. Y

In order that the float shall move freely, and. not bind on the rod B, Isecure to the upper side of the float F, a lever, a, pivoted at itsouter end, and at its inner end having a friction-roller, o, which restsagainst the sides of the rod B, at the point where the conl tact of therod and lioat would otherwise produce'cousiderable friction, and thustend to prevent the free working of the parts.

.A spring, t, is arrangedto force or hold the frictionroller up againstthe rod B, this arrangement of roller and spring being duplicated on,opposite sides of the rod, as shown in the drawing, and, if desired, ontop and bottom of the oat.

It is obvious that this form of sliding index and dial may be applied toother styles of scales, and iudicators also, as wellas to this.

The operation is as follows:

A hole is made down through the vessel to the water, and the tube A isinserted therein, the lower end reaching-down in to thewater, whichfenters through openings in the bottom of the tube A, and supports theoat, the tube or case A being long enough, with the extension or smallertube H, ,to bring the dial above the deck, or within the cabin, or

any other desired point above the water-line.

As the vessel settles in the water, by the addition of `its load, thefloat F will rise in the tube A, and as it rises, it will impart totherod B a rotary motion, thereby causing the index-rod It to rotate also,and carrying the index a along with it, the latter being guided bythespiral ange f, and thus indicating, by

fits position, the weight of the load in tous, or any other denominationthat may be adopted.

Each vessel is intended to 4be provided with an 1nstrument, which may bepermanently attached thereto, and each instrument must be adjusted to orgraduated for the particular lvessel on which it is` to be used;

In graduating the instrument, it is first to be in- A for use, andalways thereafter, as the vessel is loadedv orunloaded', the dial willindicate the amount of the load.

If preferred, the dial may be graduated to indicate the number of cubicfeet of water displaced by the its bottom or side, for-the entry of thewater, the iioait addition of the load to the vessel, and this number F,and spiral rod B, with the index and dai, arranged being multiplied bythe weight, in pounds, of a foot to operate as described. of water, willgive theweight ofthe load in pounds.

Having thus described my invention, What `I claim, is Witnesses: f Theapparatus for Weighing or indicating the loads GEORGEv W. DALIE, ofvessels, consisting of aJ case or tube, A, open at D. A. HARRISON.

, JAMES R. BURVILLE. Y Y

